The path from applicant to student

At our Admissions team meeting today, we were talking about the May to September stretch during which applicants morph into students. The process starts when applicants turn into “admitted students,” and then into “enrolling students.” But they only turn into plain ol’ STUDENTS when they turn up for Orientation in August.

If you’re planning to attend Fletcher, you may feel like a student already: you’ve given us a deposit and filled out an enrollment form — what more could be needed? The truth is that you don’t need to do anything more right now. But we at the School need to do many things, starting with wrapping up the academic year and saying farewell to graduating students. Once this academic year is complete, all eyes will turn toward our incoming students and 2010-2011.

Where should those of you still on the morphing continuum go with questions? For now, you should still start with the Admissions Office. If your question is general, we’ll have your answer. But it won’t be long before you’ll probably be giving more serious and more specific thought to your academic program and career plans. At that point, we’ll refer you to someone else within the School who can provide you with greater depth of knowledge.

As the summer goes on, you’ll hear from the Registrar (early summer), and from Career Services (mid summer). If you have questions about the content of their correspondence, you should certainly contact them directly. (In fact, all incoming students who will need a visa should already be working with the International Student Advisor, Carol Murphy, and should contact her with related questions.)

For admissions, it’s all a little bittersweet. We love watching our applicants turn into the type of students we hoped. At the same time, we’re not your single source of information any more, to the point where there are students I never meet while they’re here, though we were in daily contact in March/April/May after they were admitted.

So, for at least the next few weeks, enrolling students should continue to route questions through us. We’ll know when it’s time to help you move along.

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5 Responses to The path from applicant to student

I just wanted to add that I was very touched you recognized my name at the Open House. I appreciate all the work you guys have done for me over the past couple of years (delay admit, and then deferred). There was even some nurturing in the process – particularly when I was panicking about what to do during my “off” year. Anyhow, it doesn’t go unnoticed. : )

As one of Jessica’s colleagues, I’d love to add that it’s disappointing when we never get to meet you once you are on campus. I know it seems hard to imagine that two years can go by in such a small place without ever putting a face to a name, but it can happen. So, when you do officially become a student and are here in Medford, please do stop by to introduce yourself!